Ray of Sunshine
by BroomballKraken
Summary: When Dedue returned to Dimitri's side at the Great Bridge of Myrddin, all he cared about was making sure that he could assist in His Highness's goal of defeating the Empire. The depths of his scars were much deeper than those that now marred his skin, and no one seemed to notice. No one except for Raphael.


I think writing this gave me several cavities like GOD these two are so sweet and soft I love them ;.; lol Anyway, thanks for reading!

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The greenhouse had not changed much during the five years of war spanning across Fodlan. Dedue was grateful for that, as he had been slightly worried about its condition after seeing how utterly devastated the cathedral was. The plants seemed to still be thriving; he wondered if Ashe was the one who took care of them in his absence. His thoughts wandered to the past, and he cringed as he picked up a watering can and started to tend to the plants.

Dedue honestly expected to be long dead by now. He was incredibly lucky when the survivors from Duscur rescued him from his impending execution after he took His Majesty's place. All he had cared about after the fact was reuniting with his lord and serving him the best that he could. Nothing else mattered to him. So why...why did he feel so...incomplete? Hollow? It did not make sense to him.

"Dedue! It's really you!"

The wind was knocked from Dedue's lungs as someone large barreled into him from behind, booming laughter echoing throughout the greenhouse. It was a familiar laugh, and Dedue's eyes widened as a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, lifting him off of his feet as he was crushed into a tight bear hug.

"Raphael?" Dedue managed to say when he recovered from the shock. He was set back onto his feet and he turned around, finding Raphael beaming at him. He hadn't changed much over five years, besides somehow gaining even more muscle and growing out his hair a bit. The sight of his trademark blinding smile rendered him speechless, and a feeling Dedue had not felt in quite some time stirred deep within his chest. Raphael had not been at the battle on the Great Bridge of Myrddin, and when Dedue inquired about it, Ashe had said he had been recovering from a previous injury and could not join the march.

"Yeah! It's me! I'm so glad to see you. I was really worried when you didn't show up with the rest of the class." Raphael said, his smile somehow growing larger as he placed his hands on Dedue's arms. "Gods, I'm just...so happy to see you!" Dedue was taken aback by Raphael's exuberant amount of enthusiasm. Dedue had thought that he would have been used to it by now, but being away from his loud, boisterous friend for so long made him forget how much light Raphael had brought to his life.

"I am...happy to see you as well." Dedue said, a neutral look on his face, even though he desperately wanted to return the smile aimed at him. He wondered why he could not bring himself to smile, when the man that made him the happiest was standing right in front of him. The one who had approached him one day during their time as classmates, without the fear or contempt that many others had held for him, but instead with incredible kindness and warmth. It was an infectious warmth that would continue to grow and grow within Dedue as he and Raphael spent more time together, until Dedue realized too late that the warmth he felt had grown into something more than one would feel for just a friend.

The start of the war had been swift and jarring, and it forced them to part ways before Dedue could tell Raphael how he truly felt about him. Now that he had finally reunited with Raphael, however, Dedue was feeling...hesitant. He felt like a weight was bearing down on his chest, a weight filled with many feelings from these past five years. Those difficult years, filled with pain and worry and sadness and fighting. So, so much death and destruction plagued him, compounded by fearing for his life, and wondering if His Highness and his friends, especially Raphael, were dead and ultimately making his efforts worthless. He felt like he had been slowly suffocating from the crushing weight of his buried, festering feelings.

"Are you okay?"

Dedue was pulled from his thoughts and found Raphael staring at him, his brow furrowed and a rare frown on his face. His honey-colored eyes were filled with concern, and Dedue's heart felt heavy. A wave of guilt passed through him. Raphael did not need to waste his time worrying about him of all people. Jaw clenched, he steeled the wall surrounding his true feelings and nodded his head slightly. He couldn't look Raphael in the eye as he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"O-Of course...As long as His Highness is alive and well, I-." Dedue was interrupted when Raphael made an annoyed huffing noise, shaking his head forcefully as he cut Dedue off.

"Uh, yeah, that's great and all, but that's not what I asked. Are _you_ okay, Dedue?" Raphael said, his gentle, non judgmental gaze boring into him, and Dedue felt his throat tighten up as he tried to swallow. His composure started wavering, and he trembled slightly. How could he lie to someone as sincere as Raphael? Dedue did not know what to do. He felt like running away, sprinting straight out of the greenhouse and finding somewhere to hide. A place where Raphael could not bare witness to his weakness, his darkness. Dedue did not want to snuff out the brightest light in his life.

Large, warm hands suddenly closed around his own, and Dedue finally lifted his gaze to Raphael's. The most beautiful smile greeted him, and Dedue felt tears welling up in his eyes. The wall he had built up was cracking, and it scared him. Dedue let out a shaky breath when Raphael's hands moved to cup his cheeks, and even though they were calloused from the rigors of battle, they were gentle, warm, and so, so soft.

"You know, Dedue, you don't have to lie to me. These scars," Raphael said, his voice dropping in volume as his thumb brushed over the large scar on Dedue's left cheek, "they're all new. And I know that a lot of them are not just skin deep."

Raphael did not need to say more, as the wall finally shattered and Dedue let out a strangled sob, before breaking down completely as tears flooded down his face. His hands moved to cover his face, his entire body trembling with the force of his pent-up anguish.

"I-I am...not okay...Raphael…" Dedue choked out between sobs. Raphael was silent as he wrapped his arms around him, a hand moving to the back of his head. Raphael gently coaxed Dedue's head down until his face was resting against a broad shoulder. Dedue only sobbed harder, his arms wrapping around Raphael, hands gripping his shirt as if he were hanging on for dear life.

"It's okay to not be okay, Dedue. Let it out. I'm here. I'm here. It's okay." Raphael whispered in Dedue's ear, and he repeated it like a soothing mantra. It felt like an eternity had passed before Dedue's sobbing finally slowed, and Raphael patiently held him the entire time, until Dedue took a deep breath and let it out slowly, the last of his tears falling down his face and dripping onto Raphael's already soaked shirt.

"Feel better?" Raphael said when Dedue slowly lifted his head from his shoulder. Large hands cupped his cheeks again, and Dedue sighed as he nodded slowly. Raphael smiled brightly as he brushed his thumbs over Dedue's moist and red cheeks, wiping away the remaining tears.

"I'm glad to hear it. Sometimes you just need a good cry to get all those bad feelings out. And...you've been through a lot these past five years, right? I was...really worried when you didn't show up with Dimitri and the Professor and the rest of us." Raphael continued, a light blush dusting his cheeks, causing Dedue's brow to furrow in confusion.

"You worried for me?" Dedue asked, and Raphael's blush only deepened as he averted his gaze, his hands dropping from Dedue's face as he fiddled with his collar.

"Well, uh, yeah. You see, there was something that I wanted to say to you, but then the war started, and I had to leave to go take care of my sis, and you had to go with Dimitri and before I knew it such a long time had passed and-"

"You are rambling, Raphael."

"Oh, whoops!" Raphael said, and the slightest of smiles finally graced Dedue's face again; he could not recall the last time he had really smiled. In fact, Raphael was probably the last person to make him smile, so it was fitting that the same man would help him to smile again.

"Ah, anyway, what I wanted to say to you is that, uh...Well, you see…" Raphael said, and Dedue waited patiently, watching fondly as the object of his affection struggled to get to the point.

"I just...I really like you, Dedue!" Raphael finally blurted out, his arms waving dramatically in front of him to drive his point home. Dedue stared at him, eyes wide and jaw hanging slightly open. He what?

"I-I've liked you for a really long time, but before I could work up the courage to tell you, it was too late!" Raphael continued, "I...was really scared that I would never see you again...never getting the chance to tell you how I really felt." A sad look appeared in Raphael's eyes, and Dedue's smile grew as he listened to the rest of Raphael's confession.

"You're just...a really awesome person! You've always been the type to help people out, even to the people who would say unkind things about. I was always so happy being your friend, and just being around you. You're brave and strong and kind and fun and a good cook and...you're really handsome too!" Raphael gushed, his voice raising in volume as he spoke. Dedue's eyes somehow widened even more, and his face flushed a bright red in color at the total sincerity of Raphael's words. He was stunned into silence, and Raphael nervously rung his hands together.

"So, uh, what do you think? Do you, um, like me back?" Raphael asked, swallowing nervously as he waited for Dedue to speak with bated breath. Dedue snapped out of his daze and a wide smile broke out over his face, and it was probably the biggest smile he had ever wore.

"Raphael," Dedue finally said as he reached out and took Raphael's hands in his. He noticed that they were shaking slightly, and Dedue chuckled and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I do not know how anyone could not develop feelings for you. You are the most kindhearted and loving man that I have ever met. You are...like a ray of sunshine. You spread warmth wherever you go, and you light up every room that you enter. You have certainly become the brightest light in my life. It was...so dark in these long, long years without you." Dedue paused when he noticed that Raphael was gawking at him, his jaw hanging open and eyes bugged out. He chuckled and brought one of Raphael's hands up to his face.

"Raphael, I adore you." Dedue said, his seafoam eyes locked with those honey-colored ones he loved so much, and he pressed his lips to the back of Raphael's hand in a lingering kiss. Dedue laughed when Raphael made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, his mouth opening and closing rapidly like he was a fish out of water gasping for air.

"Y-You really mean it?" he finally managed to blurt out, and Dedue nodded, a large hand moving to cup Raphael's cheek.

"Yes, of course."

"Yes! Yes yes yes!" Raphael exclaimed, letting out an excited 'whoop' as he wrapped his arms around Dedue and lifted him off of his feet again, his laughter echoing throughout the greenhouse. Dedue's laughter joined in, and when he was set back onto his feet, Raphael's arms stayed securely around him.

"I adore you too, Dedue!" Raphael continued, and Dedue smiled fondly at him. "Not only that, but I love you! This is the best day ever!" Dedue laughed once more and nodded.

"I agree, on both accounts. I love you as well, Raphael." he said as he gently caressed Raphael's cheek with the back of his hand.

"Ah, I'm so happy!" Raphael said, his smile turning shy as his eyes locked with Dedue's. "Hey, Dedue? Can I, um, kiss you?" Dedue's heartbeat quickened at the question, but he smiled and nodded.

"Of course. I would like that."

Raphael beamed at him, and his hands moved to cup Dedue's face as he slowly leaned up, pressing his lips to Dedue's in a gentle kiss. Their first kiss. Dedue felt giddy at the thought, and it was an odd feeling for him, but certainly not a bad one. He smiled against Raphael's lips as they both moved their heads to try and deepen the kiss. It took a moment to find a rhythm, with their combined inexperienced hindering them, but after Raphael pulled away for a moment to let out a sheepish giggle, they kissed again. This time their lips fit together perfectly, like it really was meant to be.

As they lost themselves in their intimate embrace, a warmth spread through Dedue's chest. He never thought that he could find such happiness, with someone who loved him unconditionally. Someone who Dedue loved just as much. Life had been so, so hard for him, but it seemed that things would finally be looking up. Even though there was still a war to be fought, Dedue knew that he could face any challenge with Raphael at his side.

When they finally pulled apart to catch their breaths and to gaze lovingly into each other's eyes, the moment was interrupted when a loud growling noise filled the room.

"Whoops!" Raphael said, his face flushing as he rubbed at his stomach. "All of this confessing feelings and stuff made me really hungry!" Dedue blinked at him, and he suddenly burst out laughing so hard that tears started running down his face.

"You...you really have not changed a bit, Raphael." Dedue said, and he raised an eyebrow when Raphael pouted at him.

"Hey, I've changed a lot! Just look at how big my muscles have gotten!" he said, flexing his arms for Dedue, who laughed again and shook his head.

"Ah, my mistake. You certainly do look stronger, my sunshine." Dedue said, and Raphael beamed as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Ah, gods, you're embarrassing me, Dedue." Raphael said as he slipped his hand into Dedue's, entwining their fingers together. "C'mon, love! Let's go get some food!" He tugged at Dedue's arm, who chuckled and let himself be pulled towards the door.

"Of course, darling." Dedue said, blushing as Raphael paused to lean up and kiss his cheek. This day, Dedue was able to walk away from the darkness that had plagued him for so long, in the rays of sunshine that led to a brighter future. Yes, the future looked bright indeed...and it was all thanks to Raphael, Dedue's own personal ray of sunshine.


End file.
